Improvement in fur articles



s. 1). CASTLE.

' Fur Articles.

No. 215,736. Patented April 1, 1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL D. CASTLE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN FUR ARTICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 213,736, dated April 1,1879; application filed February 18, 1879.

Heretofore buffalo-pelts have been used for carriage-robes, mats, andother similar purposes; but no attempt has ever been made to employ themas dress-goods, owing to the body of long coarse hair, which, unlessremoved, would render such use impracticable, and the removal of thishair has not heretofore been attempted in consequence of the expense ofthe modes in use for such purposes. Every such pelt is covered by a bodyof the coarse hairs before referred to, and termed master hairs, and bya body of short hair or fur, which is usually concealed by the m as -v,ter hairs, but constitutes a fine close covering for the skin.

In order to expose this fine fur, and at the same time conceal to agreat extent the master hair without wholly removing the latter, (whichin many instances would leave too little body to the hairy surface,exposing the hide,) I submit the pelt, after the skin has been tannedand dressed as usual, to the action of a revolving spiral or othershaped cutter, A, Fig. 1., operating with a stationary blade, D, betweenwhich and the edges of the spiral knives the master hairs are cut andthe fur sheared to a nearly uniform surface, Fig. 2.

Owing to the stiffness and greater thickness of the master hairs, theystand out rigidly from the hide between the cuttingedges, and aresheared closely off; but the fine fur, in its natural condition, is bentand packed down, as shown in Fig. 2, and also bends when submitted tothe cutters. I take care, therefore, to cut the master hairs w as closeas possible without more than shaving the face of this packed mass offur, so that when the pelt has been submitted to the cutters it is inthe condition illustrated in said Fig. 2.

I now pass the pelt between feed-rolls a a, which draw it over the edgeof a blade, I), and opposite a revolving card, B, the teeth of whichpenetrate the mass of packed fur, and comb and straighten the hairs ofthe same, so that they will extend beyond and conceal the shorter masterhairs, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

As the fine hairs thus combed out and brought to the surface are ofunequal length, the pelt may be again submitted to the shearing-machine,by which the face is shaved to a uniform level without unduly exposingthe master hairs. The whole may then, if necessary, be again combed.

By this means the fine packed fur is straigh tened and brought out, toconstitute the hairy surface of the pelt, and the master hairs covered,and an article of fur produced which has a fine ornamental face. andwhich, either in its natural state or dyed, is serviceable in themanufacture of dressgoods, and for other purposes to which seal, beaver,and other skins have heretofore been applied, and for whichbuffalo-pelts, as heretofore treated, have never been applicable.

As the process of treating the pelts consti tutes the subject of aseparate application for Letters Patent, I do not here claim the same;but.

I claim- As a new article of manufacture, a dressed fur consisting ofbuffalo-pelt in which the master hairs are cut short and the fine haircombed out to constitute the fur surface, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL D. CASTLE.

Witnesses:

H. E. BowsER, AMos FULLER.

